Sterling - Wallace Center Head Start
Day Care Center · Pending renewal application · Licensed since 2005
GoldiCheck · State record
Protective Plan issued on 2024-12-20 (407270C6A: Staff used PROHIBITED PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE on a child) — DCFS assessed an active child safety risk
Category check
2 safety areas flagged serious — see red below.
Safety
can be flagged seriousKey findings
Most recent or most severe violations based on your filters.
Background check NOT completed or documented for personnel (or probationary employee left unsupervised with children)
This citation applies when required background-check documentation is missing or incomplete for personnel, or when a probationary employee is documented unsupervised with children. DCFS classifies background-check compliance as a critical safety standard, which is why this category is treated as high-risk.
Discipline violation (review sub-code for severity)
This citation family covers discipline violations. Severity depends on the sub-code — some cover prohibited physical punishment. Check the full citation code and the status shown with this finding.
Children were NOT properly supervised
This citation is recorded when an inspector documents children without the level of adult supervision Illinois requires. Supervision rules exist because a lapse is the point at which a child can be harmed before staff can respond, which is why DCFS treats this category as high-risk.
All violations
87 violations shown (58 outside lookback window)
Background checks(4)
Background check not completed for a household or non-staff member
Background check NOT completed or documented for personnel (or probationary employee left unsupervised with children)
This citation applies when required background-check documentation is missing or incomplete for personnel, or when a probationary employee is documented unsupervised with children. DCFS classifies background-check compliance as a critical safety standard, which is why this category is treated as high-risk.
Background check NOT completed or documented for personnel (or probationary employee left unsupervised with children)
This citation applies when required background-check documentation is missing or incomplete for personnel, or when a probationary employee is documented unsupervised with children. DCFS classifies background-check compliance as a critical safety standard, which is why this category is treated as high-risk.
Staff worked with children WITHOUT completed background check
Supervision(1)
Children were NOT properly supervised
This citation is recorded when an inspector documents children without the level of adult supervision Illinois requires. Supervision rules exist because a lapse is the point at which a child can be harmed before staff can respond, which is why DCFS treats this category as high-risk.
Discipline(8)
Discipline violation (review sub-code for severity)
This citation family covers discipline violations. Severity depends on the sub-code — some cover prohibited physical punishment. Check the full citation code and the status shown with this finding.
Staff used PROHIBITED PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE on a child
Illinois prohibits physical punishment — hitting, slapping, shaking, or physical restraint used as discipline — in licensed daycares. This citation code is recorded when an inspector documents that prohibition being breached.
DCFS has not recorded a verified correction. The facility may have fixed this independently — ask for the inspector sign-off.
DISCIPLINE — rules on treatment of children not followed
This citation family covers discipline violations. Severity depends on the sub-code — some cover prohibited physical punishment. Check the full citation code and the status shown with this finding.
DCFS has not recorded a verified correction. The facility may have fixed this independently — ask for the inspector sign-off.
Discipline violation (review sub-code for severity)
This citation family covers discipline violations. Severity depends on the sub-code — some cover prohibited physical punishment. Check the full citation code and the status shown with this finding.
DISCIPLINE — rules on treatment of children not followed
This citation family covers discipline violations. Severity depends on the sub-code — some cover prohibited physical punishment. Check the full citation code and the status shown with this finding.
DISCIPLINE — rules on treatment of children not followed
This citation family covers discipline violations. Severity depends on the sub-code — some cover prohibited physical punishment. Check the full citation code and the status shown with this finding.
Staff used PROHIBITED PHYSICAL DISCIPLINE on a child
Illinois prohibits physical punishment — hitting, slapping, shaking, or physical restraint used as discipline — in licensed daycares. This citation code is recorded when an inspector documents that prohibition being breached.
DISCIPLINE — rules on treatment of children not followed
This citation family covers discipline violations. Severity depends on the sub-code — some cover prohibited physical punishment. Check the full citation code and the status shown with this finding.
Health & sanitation(16)
Safe sleep practice requirement not met
Child health record or immunization requirement not met
Child health record or immunization requirement not met
Hand washing or hygiene requirement not met
Nutrition or meal service requirement not met
Diapering or toileting requirement not met
Safe sleep practice requirement not met
Medication handling requirement not met
Child health record or immunization requirement not met
Child health record or immunization requirement not met
Child health record or immunization requirement not met
Hand washing or hygiene requirement not met
Nutrition or meal service requirement not met
Diapering or toileting requirement not met
Safe sleep practice requirement not met
Medication handling requirement not met
Building safety(12)
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Transportation safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Equipment or toy safety requirement not met
Outdoor playground safety requirement not met
Transportation safety requirement not met
Indoor facility or space safety requirement not met
Equipment or toy safety requirement not met
Outdoor playground safety requirement not met
Staff-to-child ratios(3)
Required staff-to-child ratio was not maintained
Required staff-to-child ratio was not maintained
Required staff-to-child ratio was not maintained
Staff training(21)
Staff qualification or training requirement not met
Staff qualification or training requirement not met
Required pre-service or early in-service training not completed (mandated reporter, life safety, emergency plan, communicable disease)
Annual 15-clock-hour in-service training requirement not met
Staff orientation — required document reviews not recorded in personnel files
Staff qualification or training requirement not met
Child care director qualification requirement not met
Early childhood teacher qualification not met
Early childhood assistant qualification not met
Student or youth aide requirement not met
Staff qualification or training requirement not met
DCFS has not recorded a verified correction. The facility may have fixed this independently — ask for the inspector sign-off.
Annual 15-clock-hour in-service training requirement not met
Organization and administration requirement not met (§407.70 general)
Staff qualification or training requirement not met
Child care director qualification requirement not met
Early childhood teacher qualification not met
Early childhood assistant qualification not met
Student or youth aide requirement not met
Staff qualification or training requirement not met
Annual 15-clock-hour in-service training requirement not met
Biennial staff physical re-examination not completed
Paperwork / records(11)
Daily arrival or departure procedure not followed
Confidentiality of records requirement not met
Enrollment or discharge procedure not followed
Daily arrival or departure procedure not followed
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Personnel records or documentation requirement not met
Confidentiality of records requirement not met
Enrollment or discharge procedure not followed
Daily arrival or departure procedure not followed
Operations(11)
Staffing structure requirement not met (director oversight or on-site presence)
Program operations requirement not met
Staffing structure requirement not met (director oversight or on-site presence)
Staffing structure requirement not met (director oversight or on-site presence)
Staffing structure requirement not met (director oversight or on-site presence)
Volunteer requirement not met
Program operations requirement not met
Infant & toddler special requirement not met
Staffing structure requirement not met (director oversight or on-site presence)
Program operations requirement not met
Infant & toddler special requirement not met
How we rate this daycareIllinois DCFS records›
DCFS doesn't grade violations, so we classify each citation by the rule it cites: rules tied to immediate child safety (supervision, background checks, discipline, and the higher-risk building and health rules) are red; administrative rules (ratios, training, paperwork) are yellow. Classification is per citation, so two findings in the same category can differ.
🔴 Serious concerns — any of:
- A child-safety (red) violation is still unresolved — past its correction deadline, or cited again as a repeat
- DCFS issued a Protective Plan — a formal finding of an active risk to a child
- 2 or more violations are past their correction deadline
🟡 Watch carefully — any of:
- A child-safety (red) violation was corrected or is being corrected
- 3 or more administrative (yellow) violations
- 1 violation is past its correction deadline
- An active corrective plan — DCFS formally required a fix
🟢 Clean
Actively licensed, with no violations (or only minor, corrected ones) in your lookback window.
Data sourced from Illinois DCFS (DCFS Sunshine). Last updated: Aug 7, 2026. GoldiCheck is not affiliated with DCFS. Always verify with the DCFS Sunshine record (search Provider #446144).